Online courses directory (67)

This course seeks to examine how people experience gender - what it means to be a man or a woman - and sexuality in a variety of historical and cultural contexts. We will explore how gender and sexuality relate to other categories of social identity and difference, such as race and ethnicity, economic and social standing, urban or rural life, etc. One goal of the class is to learn how to critically assess media and other popular representations of gender roles and stereotypes. Another is to gain a greater sense of the diversity of human social practices and beliefs in the United States and around the world.

This course explores contemporary American theatrical expression as it may be organized around issues of gender and cultural identity. This exploration will include the analysis of performances, scripts, and video documentation, as well as the invention of original documents of theatrical expression. Class lectures and discussions will analyze samples of Native American, Chicano, African American, and Asian American theater, taking into consideration the historical and political context for the creation of these works. Performance exercises will help students identify theatrical forms and techniques used by these theaters, and how these techniques contribute to the overall goals of specific theatrical expressions.

In this era of globalization, many of us have multi- or bi-cultural, multilingual or bilingual backgrounds, and even if we don't have such a background, we need urgently to understand the experiences of people who do. You will very likely work outside the United States at some point in your future; you will almost certainly work with people who speak more than one language, whose ancestry or origins are in a country other than the U.S., who have crossed borders of nation, language, culture, class to amalgamate into the large and diverse culture that is America. In this class we will read the personal narratives of bilingual and bicultural writers, some of whom have struggled to assimilate, others of whom have celebrated their own contributions to a culture of diversity. You will write four personal essays of your own for the class, each of which will receive workshop discussion in class and response from me; you will then revise the essays to polish them for possible publication. One of your essays will be an investigative one, where you will focus on a subject of your choice, investigate it thoroughly, and then write with authority about it. The process of the class will encourage you to both improve your writing significantly and gain a greater understanding of experiences of people who are in some way like you as well as those who are in some way different.

Spanish I is very different from other classes at MIT. The central component of the text and workbook is a series of 26 half-hour video episodes. The videos allow students to learn authentic Spanish and experience its cultural diversity while following a good story full of surprises and human emotions. Students also listen to an audio-only program integrated with the text and workbook.

In the classroom, students do a variety of activities and exercises, which include talking in Spanish about the video program, practicing pronunciation and grammar, and interacting in Spanish with classmates in pairs and small groups. The class is conducted in Spanish as much as possible, but English is used where necessary for clarity and efficiency. This course deals with all basic language skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. This class assumes no previous knowledge of Spanish.

SPANISH 103 is an introductory course to the Spanish language and culture. This course uses a task and content-based approach to learning which integrates grammar in a functional use through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language use is encouraged through communicative activities rather than a sequence of linguistic units. Learning strategies and cultural awareness are also important objectives of the course. Course Level: Undergraduate This Work, Spanish 103 - Review of Elementary Spanish, by Tatiana Calixto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

Spanish I can be adapted for a hybrid delivery system or solely distance delivery. The course is media-rich and interactive, driven by video that was shot on-site in Guadalajara, Mexico. Versions are available for low-cost use by instructor-led classes of enrolled students. To successfully use this course, you should be a motivated student with a sincere desire to learn the Spanish language and about cultures in the Spanish-speaking world, and be comfortable with computer technologies. The time commitment will typically average 8 hours per week.

French is spoken by millions of people in many countries around the world and is a very popular second language to learn. ALISON's free online course is a series of engaging video lessons for beginners that introduces the learner to various aspects of the French language including basic French vocabulary and grammar. By studying this French course you will quickly pick up conversational French that will help you deal with everyday situations you may find yourself in when you visit a French speaking country. <br /><br />ALISON's online course will help you learn French online and will be of great interest to all learners who want to pick up basic French language skills.<br />

21F.301/351 offers an introduction to the French language and culture with an emphasis on the acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical concepts through active communication. The course is conducted entirely in French, and students interact in French with their classmates from the very beginning. They also receive exposure to the language via a variety of authentic sources such as the Internet, audio, video and printed materials which help them develop cultural awareness as well as linguistic proficiency. There is a coordinated language lab program.

This course is taught in rotation by the following instructors: Laura Ceia-Minjares, Cathy Culot, Gilberte Furstenberg, and Johann Sadock.

Elementary French I is a carefully sequenced and highly interactive presentation of French language and culture in a media-rich course environment including new video shot in France and Québec with young professional actors. It is designed to be used as a full course of study. To successfully use this course, you should be a motivated student with a sincere desire to learn about French language and francophone cultures, and be comfortable with computer technologies. The time commitment will typically average 6-8 hours per week. For information on studying French online vs. in person, see Who should study French Online? [1] in the course introduction. You will be prompted to create an account to access the course introduction, but you may click the “Look Inside” button to view the course without creating an account. [1] https://oli.cmu.edu/jcourse/webui/guest/activity.do?context=66b0f47680020ca600d89b07ced3c385

Um curso simples e surpreendente para entrar em 2014 com uma atitude positiva e vencedora. Grátis, poderoso, mágico.

The goal of this class is to prove that category theory is a powerful language for understanding and formalizing common scientific models. The power of the language will be tested by its ability to penetrate into taken-for-granted ideas, either by exposing existing weaknesses or flaws in our understanding, or by highlighting hidden commonalities across scientific fields.

The last century ushered in significant progress. Philosophers, scientists, artists, and poets overthrew our understanding of the physical world, of human behavior, of thought and its limits, and of art, creativity, and beauty. Scientific progress improved the way we lived across the world. Yet the last century also brought increased levels of war, tyranny, and genocide. Man pushed boundaries of good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice – and people lost faith in values. Now, thinkers and leaders are reconstructing theories of value and creating institutions to embody them. Join this thought-provoking, broad-sweeping course as it draws intriguing connections between philosophy, art, literature, and history, illuminating our world and our place in it. Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.

We will explore the psychology of our everyday thinking: why people believe weird things, how we form and change our opinions, why our expectations skew our judgments, and how we can make better decisions. We’ll discuss and debate topics such as placebos, the paranormal, medicine, miracles, and more.

You will use the scientific method to evaluate claims, make sense of evidence, and understand why we so often make irrational choices. You will begin to rely on slow, effortful, deliberative, analytic, and logical thinking rather than fast, automatic, instinctive, emotional, and stereotypical thinking.

We will provide tools for how to think independently, how to be skeptical, and how to value data over personal experience. We will examine the mental shortcuts that people use and misuse, and apply this knowledge to help make better decisions, and improve critical thinking.

Should we clone humans? What should we think of the coming genetic revolution? How much control should we have over how and when we die? When does medical treatment turn into medical enhancement — and should we care? Is rationing health care good, bad, necessary — or all of the above?

This course will explore fundamental moral issues that arise in medicine, health, and biotechnology. Some are as old as life itself: the vulnerability of illness, the fact of death. Some are new, brought on by a dizzying pace of technology that can unsettle our core ideas about human nature and our place in the world. And nearly all intersect with issues of racial and gender equality, as well as policies affecting the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Designed to introduce students to the range of issues that define bioethics, together with core concepts and skills, this course should be of interest to undergraduates, health care professionals, policy makers, and anyone interested in philosophy or ethics.

Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.

This course is being offered in an experimental format. Students are welcome to audit the course, and participate in all course activities. Certificates will not be issued.

This course is designed to help you become a more effective and confident public speaker. We will demystify the process of writing, practicing, and performing a clear and engaging speech, work through the unique traits of oral versus written communication, and learn how to prepare speeches that are easier to deliver orally and understand aurally.

One of the best ways to refine your own speech ability is through a close study of others' speeches. We will have a number of opportunities to examine and discuss sample speeches and speakers. Growing out of our analysis of speakers, we will discuss who you hold up as a model speaker and analyze what makes that speaker effective. We will critically examine our own speeches and the speeches of others. By becoming a student of public speaking, you join a long history of rhetorical study dating back to ancient Greece.

This course is adapted from a similar class offered by the Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences, a fully online degree completion program from the University of Washington.

人文學，其特色在於「慢熱」，需要耐心細嚐、咀嚼古聖先賢的智慧結晶與其文字背後所隱含的真正意義。史記系列課程將透過對《史記》一書的導讀，引領同學們探究史學之「真」與「善」。 不管你是對中華文化感興趣者、想更深入了解傳統史學者、喜歡論理分析者、或是久仰太史公司馬遷之名之愛好者，這門課一定會讓你收穫良多。因為《史記》不僅記載了無數精彩非凡的歷史人事，更貫串了在它之前的多數古代典籍，可說是集中國上古文明精粹於一書。更重要的是，這門課程中將引導大家如何讀《史記》，進而學會如何讀中國史書、如何讀中國書。 這是一場史學的思辨之旅，希望各位同學千萬不要錯過！

This course will introduce you to the field known as Science and Technology Studies (STS). STS is an interdisciplinary field that examines how science and technology shape societies, cultures, and the environment and how social, cultural, and environmental factors shape the development of science and technology. These rich connections are most easily seen in areas such as the Internet and other digital technologies; the biological sciences (including biotechnology, genetics, and genomics); medical sciences and technologies; energy sciences and technologies; and ecological and environmental sciences. STS also studies the history of science, focusing on how social and cultural values and interests have shaped science and technology. This course begins with an introduction to STS and continues by examining the nature of science according to various philosophical perspectives. In the process, you will be introduced to key terms necessary for understanding those perspectives. When you have finished this course,…

In this course you will learn how to conduct research using empirical methods, which rely on observation and experimentation. This course is appropriate for those interested in using empirical research methods in their field, particularly students in the social and behavioral sciences. Topics include the formulation of the question to be investigated and the of resulting hypotheses, the collection of data and the analysis of the data collected, and the interpretation and study of analysis results. We assume that learners entering Empirical Research Methods (ERM) have taken at least a semester or year-long course in statistics and, through this or some other experience, have been exposed to the following concepts: Random Variables Population and Samples Data Tables (rows=sample units and columns=variables) Summary Statistics: Mean, Median, Variance, Covariance, Correlation Graphs: Boxplots, Barcharts, Histograms, Scatterplots Inference: standard errors, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, etc. Models: Bivariate Regression, perhaps ANOVA If learners have not had such exposure, they can follow the appropriate links into the OLI introductory statistics course to review the required concepts.

We will explore the changing political choices and ethical dilemmas of American scientists from the atomic scientists of World War II to biologists in the present wrestling with the questions raised by cloning and other biotechnologies. As well as asking how we would behave if confronted with the same choices, we will try to understand the choices scientists have made by seeing them in their historical and political contexts. Some of the topics covered include: the original development of nuclear weapons and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the effects of the Cold War on American science; the space shuttle disasters; debates on the use of nuclear power, wind power, and biofuels; abuse of human subjects in psychological and other experiments; deliberations on genetically modified food, the human genome project, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research; and the ethics of archaeological science in light of controversies over museum collections.

Do you ever wonder why you aren’t as happy and fulfilled as you should be, given everything you have? Or perhaps you are about to graduate and want to know what it takes to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Or maybe you are already as happy as happy can be, but are just curious about the latest findings from the science of happiness. Whatever your situation, this course is for you. By taking it, not only will you learn about “7 deadly happiness sins,” you will also learn how to overcome them through the “7 habits of the highly happy.” .